


The World Victory Gala

by nanuk_dain



Series: Drift Compatible [60]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Feels, Fluff, M/M, Multiple Pov, PBC (Post-Breach-Collapse), PPDC World Victory Tour, Team Hot Dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 06:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18986974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: The World Victory Tour ends with a huge gala. And profound relief, lots of introspective, retrospective and prospective thoughts, some revelations and dancing.Lotsof dancing.





	The World Victory Gala

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my, we're done with the World Victory Tour! I can't believe it... and it took 'only' about 43.900 words XD Well, I guess it was the right decision to split it into single parts and not post it as one huge fic...

_Hong Kong Shatterdome, March 21st 2025_

 

"I hate this gala." Chuck's voice is quiet, the complaint more grumbled under his breath than actually said aloud. 

Raleigh still hears it. "Come on, Chuck, look at the bright side: This is the very last event of this damn tour. It's practically over."

"That's the only thing that makes it bearable." Chuck doesn't turn to look at Raleigh, and he's still mumbling under his breath. "But it doesn't make me hate it any less."

Raleigh watches Chuck where he's standing next to Raleigh in his full dress uniform, glowering at pretty much every person assembled in the Jaeger bay, and complaining about it all the way. The World Victory Tour ends where it began, in the same Jaeger bay in the Hong Kong Shatterdome. Only this time it's set up as a banquet with formal speeches, dinner and then some dancing in a large area set aside in the huge bay. They're not lacking space, that's for sure.

Once the dinner was officially over, Chuck and Raleigh had excused themselves to get away from the two rather nosy middle-aged women who had acquired seats at their table. Chuck stopped his escape by the sidelines of the makeshift dance floor, from where he's now glaring at the occupants of the Jaeger bay. Raleigh finds it oddly adorable and it kind of reminds him of the opening ceremony. Except now Sasha isn't there to chide him in her amused way, because she's out on the dance floor swaying with Aleksis and obviously enjoying herself. Their sync is just as prominent as when they're in a kwoon fight or a Conn-Pod. It gives Raleigh an idea that he thinks about for a minute or two, then he decides to go for it.

Raleigh leans in until his lips touch Chuck's ear. He loves the little shiver he can feel going though Chuck's body when he whispers, "Dance with me, Charlie." 

Chuck finally turns to look at him, and he's obviously too surprised to keep up his glare. "What?"

"Dance with me." Raleigh repeats and gently jerks his chin in the direction of the dance floor. It's not too busy yet but also not empty, and he wants to dance with Chuck. They've never done that before, and suddenly Raleigh really really wants to.

"I'm not much of a dancer." Chuck replies after a moment, one shoulder giving a shrug. It's obvious that he's stating a fact he has known to be true forever, and he doesn't seem to care about it much. He probably never had much opportunity - or reason - to dance.

Raleigh takes Chuck by the hands, begins to gently move with the music and pulls Chuck along with him towards the dance floor. "That's not a 'no'."

Chuck frowns in that way he has when he's unsure of what to do. "Rals, really, I'm just going to step on your toes and then embarrass both of us."

"I bet you that you won't." Raleigh says with a challenging smirk. Watching Sasha and Aleksis made him come up with a theory that he now wants to test. He leans in until his lips touch Chuck's ear again and he lowers his voice when he continues, "I bet my jumper that you like to steal so much."

"You're playing dirty, Rals." Chuck grumbles, but allows Raleigh to manoeuvre him out on the dance floor. Raleigh doesn't say anything, he just keeps swaying to the music and pulls Chuck along with him. And just like he expected, Chuck reacts to all his movements in total sync, as easily as if they had been dance partners for years. When Raleigh speeds up and starts to include more difficult moves, Chuck meets him effortlessly. It's got to be a side effect of them being a perfect match, Raleigh muses. Same as Chuck can anticipate his moves in a fight, he can also do it in a dance. It comes natural to him, to _both_ of them, and the feeling is as addictive as it is during sparring. 

When the song ends and they stop in front of each other, Chuck's cheeks are flushed and he's grinning, quite obviously enjoying their dance. "Wow, this is so much fun!"

"I told you that you wouldn't step on my toes." Raleigh says with a smug grin that has a definite mischievous edge to it. "Just don't try to do that with anybody other than me, because I guarantee that you _will_ flatten _their_ feet." 

Chuck laughs out loud before he pulls Raleigh in the next dance when the music takes up again.

 

*** 

 

"I'm so glad this is practically over." Herc says quietly to Stacker who is standing next to him at the bar that was set up in the Jaeger bay for the duration of the gala celebrating the end of the World Victory Tour. Herc is holding a beer while Stacker is sipping on a fake, and due to the elegant occasion their drinks were served in glasses instead of in the bottle. Herc would really prefer the bottle.

"So am I." Stacker agrees equally quiet. It won't do for anybody to overhear them talking like that, so they keep their voices down. "I'm looking forward to flying out to Kodiak Island the day after tomorrow."

"Yeah, we'll be _finally_ out of the eye of the media. Nobody but PPDC personnel - no journalists, no paparazzi, no fans." Herc sighs. "Now that sounds like heaven. I'm so tired of watching my every word and gesture. I'm also tired of finding my face plastered all over the internet and the newspapers all the time."

"Or pictures of our drivesuit scars." Stacker adds drily and Herc snorts. The craze hasn't died down at all yet, and Herc wonders how long it'll keep going. Quite a while, he fears. Seriously, he didn't dare to go to a hotel pool for the fear of finding pictures of his entire body dissected on the internet afterwards. Even when the pools were reserved for PPDC personnel, there were always some paparazzi with zoom lenses, as they all learned early on. 

Out of the blue something down the bay attracts Herc's attention and he has to look twice before he believes what he's seeing. It's not something he _ever_ thought to witness.

"Look." Herc says with a little smile and jerks his chin in the direction of the dance floor. Stacker follows his gaze and chuckles when he catches sight of Chuck and Raleigh, both in full dress uniform, dancing slowly to the music and as obviously in sync as they are when sparring or piloting a Jaeger. While Chuck seems a bit tentative at first, he quickly gets into it and Herc watches him fall effortlessly into the increasingly difficult moves Raleigh guides him into. He's quite obviously enjoying himself.

"I didn't know Chuck can dance." Stacker says in surprise.

"He can't. I know that for a fact." Herc replies drily.

"Perfect match factor?" Stacker wonders and looks at Herc expectantly.

"I'd say so." Herc thinks about it for a moment. "It does make sense. Dancing and fighting do require the same kind of coordination, after all. Both require sync - and they definitely have that."

"So I guess that means that _Raleigh_ actually does know how to dance." Stacker continues the theory with a little smirk.

Herc nods. "And Chuck reacts in sync."

Stacker watches them for a minute, then he chuckles. "Maybe we should introduce ballroom dancing to establish drift compatibility."

Herc snorts at that. "I would _love_ to see that."

"Well, we'll revise the Academy's training programme anyway, we're free to include new exercises." Stacker offers with a teasing smirk that makes Herc laugh quietly. Herc turns to look at Chuck and Raleigh again, pleasantly surprised to see the huge grin on Chuck's face while he's moving over the dance floor with Raleigh.

Herc smirks, sets his beer on the counter and reaches for Stacker's to put it down as well. Then he takes Stacker's hand and begins to walk backwards in the direction of the dance floor. "Come on, Ranger Pentecost, it's time to establish our drift compatibility."

"Herc..." Stacker says in a weak protest.

"You know that we have to test any new training methods first. And as the Marshals, we want to set a good example, don't we?" Herc argues with a teasing grin, never stopping in his progress towards the dance floor.

"Good example, hm?" Stacker asks with a pointedly raised eyebrow.

"You don't have to be the last man standing anymore." Herc says in a quiet but serious voice. "Times have changed, Stacks, and we're changing with them. The future of the PPDC is a team effort. Let's show that without actually saying a word."

Stacker allows Herc to draw him close, then he smiles. "I like the sound of that."

Herc returns the smile and falls into the familiar movements of the dance, into the rhythm of the music, and Stacker joins him easily, gliding over the dance floor in perfect sync. The fact that they both know how to dance makes their movements even smoother.

 

*** 

 

"Really, Herm, it's not that bad. Just relax a bit!" Newton says enthusiastically from where he's sitting next to Dr Gottlieb. He doesn't get a reply - or any reaction besides a glare - and Naomi didn't really expect Dr Gottlieb to dignify that with a response. He's obviously uncomfortable at the gala and it's clear that he was forced to attend, probably by either a direct order or Newton's emotional blackmail. Or a mixture of both.

"You can hide out in the lab again the day after tomorrow, when we're back on Kodiak Island." Newt points out, completely immune to Dr Gottlieb's glare. Naomi finds it oddly amusing to watch those two bicker. "Seriously, Herm, you know that there'll be no people around to bother you for _miles_ since everybody in the PPDC knows to leave you alone. So just take this evening as the famous exception to the rule. I'm going to propose something revolutionary: You could even try to enjoy yourself!"

Still no reaction beyond a tick beneath Dr Gottlieb's left eye. Naomi isn't exactly fluent in reading Dr Gottlieb's body language, but she knows that it means that he's not pleased and that he's probably considering increasingly violent methods to shut Newton up. Naomi thinks that it says a lot about his relationship with Newt that he's not following through with his fantasies. So far, anyway. 

The fact that Naomi is sitting at their table doesn't help matters, she's certain of that. So maybe Dr Gottlieb doesn't despise and mistrust her quite as much anymore since she didn't include his puking in a debris toilet after the drift with the Kaiju brain in her articles, but that doesn't mean that he likes her. He can stand her presence a bit better than before, but that's as far as his concession goes. Naomi is under no illusion that he will ever like her, she assumes that's a feeling exclusively reserved for Newton. And even with him, Dr Gottlieb doesn't actually show it. Not in a traditional way, at least.

During the official part of the gala earlier this evening, Naomi was seated at an entirely different table. She attends in a semi-official capacity, and ever since Newt dragged her over to their table when he spotted her after dinner, she decided that she's now more or less off duty. She's still freelancing, so it's up to her when she works and what she includes in her writing. And it's been going very well for her those past two months, that's for sure.

The recent weeks have strengthened her connection to the PPDC even more. It seems that her first four articles in the immediate aftermath of the closure of the Breach were not only very well received by the public, but also by the PPDC. Her continuous reports throughout the World Victory Tour were highly appreciated by the public because it's a fact that most of the PPDC personnel are more likely to talk to her than other journalists, mostly because they already know her and trust her not to include private details. Naomi never expected that staying away from the gossip press would work so strongly in her favour.

She's glad that she got the chance to talk to Ms James again, and that the PR lady was favourable to allowing Naomi the chance to do more articles on the PPDC in the future. There are so many things Naomi still wants to write about, and the perfect match phenomenon is one of those things. Just remembering the official perfect match fights in Vladivostok, Anchorage and Sydney is enough to make her want to dig into the topic. She was impressed beyond imagination, and now she wants to understand it, wants to put it in words and share it with the world. Tonight she managed to get a moment with Dr Lightcap to ask her if she was willing to talk to Naomi some more about her work in case she got the permission to write about the perfect match phenomenon. To her surprise, the Doc was delighted to work with her. Naomi has the feeling there's more behind her easy agreement, and she wonders what it is. She'll find out at some point, she doesn't doubt that. 

Naomi allows her gaze to trail through the Jaeger bay and over the people that bustle around the huge space. The crowd is an unusual and interesting mixture of members of the PPDC, most prominently those who participated in the World Victory Tour, celebrities, CEOs and other influential individuals, politicians and members of the press. But most interestingly there are also regular people, mostly devoted fans and some people hoping for a business venture, because there was a limited number of seats for sale to the public. They were sold at a fixed, affordable price on a first come first served basis. Naomi heard they sold out within twenty minutes.

Naomi bows to Ms James for this ingenious move, which is bound to keep the PPDC in good graces with the public. It gives them an air of approachable authenticity instead of elitist arrogance, and Naomi is well aware how far such a reputation can carry. It's a very intelligent move, that's for sure. The fact alone that they offer fans the chance to meet their heroes in a relatively relaxed and natural setting is bound to make them very popular. Of course the fact that every attendee has to register personally in order to be allowed to participate means that the PPDC had the opportunity to check their backgrounds. By buying a ticket, you automatically agreed to allow background checks, and Naomi is sure the PPDC did so thoroughly considering the important people in attendance. Of course there's also the subtle presence of security all throughout the Jaeger Bay, and the PPDC has the home advantage since the event is taking place on their own turf. There were strict controls that everybody was submitted to before entering the shatterdome, even Naomi, who's already known to the PPDC, after all. There's also a black tie dress code that was mandatory, and certain rules of comportment that attendees had to sign. Ms James certainly took all precautions possible to assure that the gala goes smoothly. 

When she glances at the dance floor again, Naomi is surprised to see Raleigh and Chuck spin around in a quick dance and she can't help smiling at their obvious enjoyment. It reminds her immediately of the public fight they did in Anchorage. She's again impressed by their sync, so prominent never mind whether they're sparring or dancing. They're beautiful together, their connection so blatantly obvious that she wonders how it could have taken her so long to notice back when she was in the Shatterdome for the interviews after the closure of the Breach.

Her gaze flickers to Pentecost and Hansen, who are standing together at the bar behind the dance floor. They're obviously watching Raleigh and Chuck as well, and she sees them speaking quietly among each other, then Hansen grins at something Pentecost said. A few moments later she watches Hansen pull Pentecost on the dance floor and she's stunned to see them start dancing. Their movements flow together elegantly and gracefully, beautiful to watch and at the same time so surprising in their ease. Naomi never in her life expected to see Pentecost do something as human as dance, and she finds she can't look away. She's sure this will feature prominently in the gossip tabloids _very_ soon, including pictures.

Naomi is still glad that she opted not to publicise Pentecost's and Hansen's relationship back in her first four articles. She thinks that it worked out for the best how they subtly made it official themselves in a show of easy confidence during the World Victory Tour. The PPDC needs strong leaders with rational minds and the heart in the right place, and she thinks that Pentecost and Hansen fulfil that role very well. To think that she could have harmed them and therefore the PPDC by prematurely disclosing private facts is sobering. Of course Naomi knows very well what power she wields as a journalists who's now in high demand, but this makes her realise it again in a very pointed way. She takes it as a valuable reminder at the right time.

When Naomi finally manages to tear her gaze away from the dancing couples, she spots the Wei Tang brothers at a table a bit further down the bay. She can tell Cheung apart because he's still in a wheelchair, but Hu and Jun have gotten rid of their casts and are enjoying their confusability again. The table of the brothers is tightly surrounded by a large group of doting fans, mostly female, but not exclusively. The triplets have always had the reputation of womanisers and never bothered to hide it or keep it down. Now they're quite obviously basking in the attention and are turning on the charm, effortlessly capturing the attention of their devout congregation. 

Naomi remembers all too well that day when all perfect matches were spotted with stickers somewhere on their person that stated their love for the other part of their perfect match bond. It had taken Naomi about two seconds to know _exactly_ who was responsible for this thing - her poor dictation machine is still covered in mismatched stickers that refuse to come off - but she refrained from writing about it. It was too much fun to see what the world made out of it. Of course she had announced the solution to the mystery the next day, when still not a single person had realised that it was a prank by the Wei Tang brothers. Nobody believed her until the brothers actually admitted to it in a show of insincere apology that she's sure Ms James forced them into.

"Look at them! Come on, Herm, if Pentecost can do something so human, you can, too!" Newton's voice suddenly filters into her musings and makes her focus on the situation in her immediate vicinity. She looks at the two scientists opposite of her and finds Newt gesticulating very obviously at Pentecost and Hansen. "Dance with me, Herm!"

Naomi can't help her eyebrows rise in surprise, maybe even a little dread. She can't see this ending well. True to her expectation, Dr Gottlieb gets up stiffly without saying a word, grabs his cane and stalks off in clipped but hurried steps, as fast as he probably can. 

Newt stares after him and actually seems surprised. "What did I say?"

"Think about that for a moment, Newt. I think you'll get to it." Naomi says drily.

Newt frowns at her in obvious concentration, as if he's replaying the conversation in his mind, then it seems to click. "Oh."

"Yeah, 'Oh'." Naomi replies. Really, sometimes Newton can be so dense. Although in this case, she thinks it's because he doesn't even consciously see Dr Gottlieb's physical limitation. Not because he ignores them, but because they're so much part of the man for Newt that he doesn't consider them limitations. Naomi even guesses that he doesn't perceive Dr Gottlieb as any less than perfect the way he is, but maybe that's the romantic in her speaking. Because those two are meant to be, there's no doubt in her mind about that. It's like a cosmic truth.

"I didn't mean to..." Newt trails off and stares after Dr Gottlieb's retreating form with a worried expression on his face. It's quickly replaced by determination and he gets up. "Please excuse me, Naomi, I've got a scientists to catch."

Naomi just smirks. "Best of luck."

"Thanks!" Newt says over his shoulder with a grin, already hurrying after Dr Gottlieb, who by now managed to get halfway across the bay. Naomi follows them with their gaze until Dr Gottlieb disappears behind a corner and Newton joins him seconds later. She really hopes they get their issues sorted.

Actually, the science division would be a very interesting topic to write about as well. Not just Newt and Dr Gottlieb, but also Dr Lightcap and their colleagues. It's a highly underappreciated part of the PPDC, especially considering how important they are to the victory against the Kaiju. Yes, she'll have to work on that. There are so many topics that she wants to write about, she'll be busy for years if she gets permission to cover all the areas she wants to research. Well, she's not going to complain about that.

 

*** 

 

Newton makes sure to keep from running, because the last thing he wants is to attract attention to himself and therefore to Hermann and their current situation. He knows Herm won't even talk to him if he feels there's anybody watching them. He'll always be an utterly private man, and being at this gala already stretched thin his tolerance for the presence of other people. Of course it didn't help matters that Newton insisted on dancing, especially considering that Herm is very self-conscious about his leg, although he makes sure not to let that show. And asking in front of Naomi surely made things worse.

There are so many issues coming together here, really, Newt should have seen Hermann's reaction coming from miles away. He was just high on the spirit and maybe a little selfish because seeing all the other perfect matches dance made him want to experience it too. It seems to Newt like there's something special to it for them, and he wants to know what that is. He'll admit that it's not just his scientific curiosity demanding that he find out, maybe he just wants to _feel_ it. He knows that he and Herman aren't your typical perfect match, they're not Rangers trained in the art of fighting, but they're _still_ a perfect match, so what works for the others should also apply to them. Newt decides that he and Hermann are their own weird kind of perfect match. Even if only a handful of people know about that. Okay, mostly just Sasha and Aleksis. Maybe Caitlin. But that's it. 

Newt speeds up his pace when he sees Hermann turn the corner to one of the auxiliary gates which are closed for the event. Of course Hermann, as a PPDC member with high clearance, can still open the gate, and Newt is sure that's what he's planning to do. They're at the very edge of the bay, away from the main event and any people - the gate is a perfect escape route to disappear unnoticed. Time to act.

"Herm, wait. Please." Newt says loud enough to be sure that Hermann hears him. He also tries to convey his urgency over their ghost drift. He can clearly feel Hermann's agitation over the link, and it doesn't ease his mind at all, especially when Herm keeps walking without even faltering at Newt's words. Oh my, he really screwed up this time.

"I was an idiot for insisting." Newton keeps talking, because he's not quite sure what else to do. He just wants Hermann to stop so that he can apologise properly, maybe even explain his reasoning. "It's just that, you know, seeing them dance, I really wanted to do that with you. I'd love to dance with you, to feel you move with me in that total sync..." 

Hermann actually flinches and stops abruptly. Okay, Newt admits to himself, so maybe talking isn't the best idea when his mouth is running away with him and is bound to get him in even more trouble. He wonders how much of his confusing emotions are transmitting to Hermann, but decides that he'll still have to try to put it in words. For a basic understanding, at least. He's just about to go off again when Hermann speaks.

"You _know_ I can't dance with my leg." Hermann blurts in a pressed voice while turning around slowly. His face is drawn and he may sound pissed, but Newton knows immediately that it's not directed at him, but at Hermann's own inability. He hates admitting limitations based on his leg, and well, Newton knows that, has known it forever, he really should have known that Hermann would think about how he'd embarrass himself trying to dance. But that's not what this is about, it's not about showing off to those around them. It's about feeling Hermann close to him in the slow, intimate motion of a dance, to feel their unity sing over their ghost drift. It's about being together, it's about them and nobody else. Now he just has to make Hermann see that - no, not only _see_ it, but _understand_ it. Question: How the heck should he do that?

"I'm not talking about Rock 'n Roll, Herm." Newt replies quietly and takes a careful step closer until he can gingerly settle his hand on Hermann's, the one holding onto the cane in a painfully tight grip. Newt can feel the tense muscles under his fingertips, almost clenched enough to tremble with the effort. Hermann remains quiet, but at least he's looking at Newt and so far hasn't shaken off his touch. Newt counts it as a win and an encouragement to continue. Okay, what to say next?

Newton licks his lips, then he concentrates on opening the ghost drift a a little more, to make Hermann understand his intentions by feeling them. Hermann always responds better when he has proof of something, especially of Newt's sincerity. Really, this perfect match thing is a blessing in so many ways. "I want to dance with you to be close to you, to feel the sync between us. It's not about a perfect performance. It's about _us_ , Herm. Just us. Nobody has to see it."

Hermann remains quiet, but the tension in his frame has eased a little. He's still frowning, though, so Newt knows he needs to do better than he has so far. He tries to gauge Hermann's state of mind through the ghost drift, but mostly he gets only fractions of confusing and contradictory feelings. A little like Hermann wants to, but at the same time fears it. It's strange, and it doesn't help Newt much in deciding what to say. Maybe he should just _do_ something and then let Hermann decide whether he wants to go along. 

So Newt slowly, carefully takes another step closer, gently takes Hermann's cane out of his hand and leans it against the wall beside them. Hermann lets him, which Newt counts as another win, although he seems wary. Next Newt guides Hermann's hands to his shoulders so that he can support Herm's weight instead of the cane. Then Newton settles his own hands on Hermann's slim hips in a gentle but sure grip. He wants Hermann to know that he'll support him, that he won't let him fall, that Newt has his back, will carry what he can't. They're a team, a unit, a perfect match. They share the load, no matter what that load consists of. They're equal, they complete each other in their strengths and weaknesses. That's the foundation of a perfect match, after all: Equality.

When Hermann doesn't pull back, Newton leans in and gently rests his forehead against Hermann's. He arches his head so that he can nudge his nose against Hermann's in a slow Eskimo kiss, then he takes a deep breath and says quietly, his voice a little rough, "Please, Hermann. Dance with me."

Newton actually feels Hermann shiver against him before he steps back. For a split but incredibly scary second Newt wonders if maybe he did it all wrong, but then he feels the hands on his shoulders tighten to pull him along, and he instinctively follows. It's only then that Newt realises that Hermann is not trying to get away from him, but that he's starting to move in a very slow waltz. It completely doesn't fit the music playing on the dance floor, but it only filters to the back of the bay in faint notes that are drowned out by the melody Hermann hears playing in his mind and that transmits to Newt over their connection. It's like he can hear it too, and he effortlessly follows the pace Hermann sets up, a gentle pace that'll accommodate the limited capabilities of Hermann's leg and that won't hurt him. Because Newt doesn't want to hurt him, ever, he wants him to feel their connection sing in the air and take the same profound pleasure in it that enfold Newt. 

It's so easy to dance with Hermann, it's so natural to anticipate his every move and follow it, to avoid all movement that'll inflict any pain on him. He knows how to hold him and when to support him and when Hermann is fine on his own. It's like they're caught in a bubble that contains only them and shields them against the rest of the world. It doesn't exist anymore, there's nothing but them. This is must be the magic the other perfect matches were experiencing, Newt thinks in passing. This is probably what they feel when they fight in the kwoon, something Newt has never done in his life, and certainly not with Hermann. He doesn't want to do that, either. Why should he, if he can have it when dancing? 

Newt smiles, his eyes closed and his forehead still touching Hermann's, and allows himself to get lost in their rhythm, in their private little bubble of utter contentedness. He can feel Hermann's enjoyment over their ghost drift and feels himself relax.

Yeah, life is good. Great, even. 

 

*** 

 

While many guests are already mingling or drifting to the bar and the dance floor, Mako is still sitting at her assigned spot at the dinner table, trying to follow the conversation of the other guests that have been seated with her. There's the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who Mako met already back in Auckland, then two CEOs of enterprises that have voiced interest in the Civilian Explorers, as well as Tendo and Dr Lightcap. There's also a young married couple who managed to buy two seats for the gala and were seated at their table. They've been kind of starstruck at the beginning of the evening, but relaxed the longer the evening went. They both admitted to being fans of Mako and Raleigh and Gipsy Danger, but they've so far been very mature about it and didn't try to monopolise Mako's time. They're both in the IT industry, they said, and they effortlessly joined the conversation at the table. 

Mako feels tired by the constant attention she has to pay to the people around her so that she doesn't miss something and make a fool out of herself. She's well aware that she's distracted, mostly because seeing and talking to Dr Lightcap brought thoughts of Yancy back to the forefront of her mind with a vengeance. Especially _because_ she can't talk about it in this public setting, can't ask if the scientists have come up with any ideas, maybe even a solution to the whole issue. The gaze Dr Lightcap threw her when they finally met in person at the beginning of the gala suggested that there is something to talk about, and Mako is on the edge because of it, because she _doesn't know_. 

Well, she'll have to be patient. This is not the time nor the place to address the issue, anyway. Mako is more professional than that. With that thought she straightens and tries to return her focus to the conversation. She manages for ten minutes or so, then there's a lull in the discussion that allows her to excuse herself from the table. She makes her way over to the bar and gets herself a cocktail, something sweet but without alcohol. She needs the sugary treat, but she also desperately needs a clear mind, so alcohol is out of the question. The tour has gone so well, Mako will not risk that on the last evening. Anyway, she was never much of a drinker.

The barkeeper sets the orange coloured drink with red swirls in front of her with a friendly but professional smile and turns to serve the next customer. Mako takes it and leans with her back against the counter, then she takes the first curious sip. It's good, if a bit sweeter than she expected. It'll do the job perfectly, though. 

Mako lets her gaze wander over the people at the dinner tables, at the bar, on the dance floor. The evening is no doubt a success. The atmosphere is relaxed and the people seem to be having a good time. It's on the second pass over the dance floor that Mako first catches sight of Raleigh and Chuck dancing together, and a second later of Sensei and Hansen-san doing the same a few metres away. It leaves her stunned for a ridiculously long moment, and it's when she feels the straw drop from her mouth that she realises that she's gaping. A second later the expression of surprise is replaced by a gentle smile. 

She likes seeing the people she loves happy. And there's no doubt that they are at this precise moment: Raleigh is smiling broadly while Chuck is grinning, his cheeks red from the exercise; Sensei is looking at Hansen-san with that little smile she loves so much, and Hansen-san is returning it in his own lopsided fashion. Both couples seem to have forgotten where they are, as if they're lost in each other. Mako find herself wondering what it would be like to dance with Yancy, if she'd also be lost in him like Sensei seems to be lost in Hansen-san. It's a sudden and random thought that doesn't leave her while she's watching them move together. It's also quickly followed by the reminder that dancing actually requires a physical form, so she's unlikely to ever find out what it would feel like to dance with Yancy.

In fact, if she's entirely honest with herself, Yancy has never been far from her thoughts since the K-Science team's revelation. Well, it's not so much him personally, because she doesn't really know him. But the general situation at hand is a constant presence in her mind, coming up at inconvenient times and keeping her from concentrating or from falling asleep at night. She knows she needs to do something about it. She can't afford being distracted like that, not with the kind of responsibility she's been entrusted with. She's fulfilling very important duties for the PPDC, and she needs to be on the task with one hundred percent focus.

She hopes that there will be something to actually do about it once they get to Kodiak Island. If nothing else, she wants to get into a simulator with Raleigh so that he can show her more of Yancy, share his memories of him, allow her to get to know him, get a picture of what he's like. Mako still has reservations about that three-way drift, never mind that she also feels the urge to do it, so a normal drift with Raleigh is the safest alternative she can think of at the moment. She'll see where they go from there. In any case, she's certain that the next weeks - the next months - will be anything but boring.

 

***

 

Amanda James looks out over the Jaeger Bay and smiles contently. It's the last day of the World Victory Tour, the final evening that will end the tour with an appropriately grand gala, and it's going very well so far. All the time and effort spent planning it is paying off.

The majority of the guests are still sitting at the tables that were arranged in the Jaeger Bay for the banquet. Some are standing together in groups talking and laughing, and a few have already made their way over to the large area designated to serve as a dance floor. The ceremonial part of the evening is over, the speeches done and the dinner finished, and the atmosphere is relaxed. It couldn't have gone any better.

Amanda is standing on one of the service platforms of the bay which is elevated above the ground floor by two levels and therefore serves as a perfect vantage point. She mingled with the guests during the evening, especially during the early hours when the programme was still running and she needed to be there to assure that everything went according to plan. Now, though, the crucial part of the evening is over and she retreated to the restricted area up here to get an overview of the situation. Literally.

She can honestly say that she is overall satisfied with how the World Victory Tour went. It's much more of a success than she ever dared to dream. Not only is money coming in steadily now, but the connections of the PPDC to many highly relevant players improved greatly, everything from entire countries to organisations and influential individuals. She's been in the game long enough to know that these connections and the support they can offer are crucial for the PPDC's future, especially after the steep fall from grace prior to the closure of the Jaeger Program. The UN is still a threat that shouldn't be underestimated, and she's well aware that the only way to keep the PPDC's independence from the UN is if they have the finances, the connections and the support to stand on their own. Primarily the promotional tour was always meant to bring exactly those things, and it did.

But not only the political and financial aspects of the tour worked out, the public and image related issues also outperformed her expectations. Not only did the Rangers and scientists, who made up most of the PPDC's media presence, do their job better than expected and created a high amount of public interest, but they also managed to generate a lot of money for the PPDC through appearances as well as merchandising. The hype surrounding the PPDC and especially the Rangers has not died down yet and doesn't show any indication that it will do so in the near future. 

It's also quite a relief that there were no great scandals that couldn't be glossed over or turned around to the PPDC's advantage, such as the involuntary public outing of the relationship of Raleigh Becket and Chuck Hansen followed by the forced announcement of the relationship of Marshals Pentecost and Hansen. In the end, with the resulting craze surrounding perfect matches and circuitry scars, it actually worked in their favour. In fact, the Wei Tang brothers were the most troublesome during the tour. At least they didn't do anything that so outrageous that it hurt the PPDC's reputation. Amanda thinks their pranks actually kept morale up within the participants of the tour, although she will never admit that out loud, especially not for the triplets to hear. She really doesn't want to encourage them. 

Fact is that the PPDC's situation is much stronger and much more secure now than it was before the tour. On the home front, things also progressed well. The administration of the Jaeger Academy is up and running and they're currently sorting through the thousands of applications they received in the last two months. The official reopening of the Academy was announced tonight as part of the final ceremony, and it was well received. The first new Ranger class is scheduled to start in May, and interest is huge. 

Amanda scoffs. Suddenly the world's leaders are eager to get their hands on Jaegers again and get them stationed in their territory, completely forgetting that they readily abandoned the Jaeger Program before. No, _now_ they want the Jaegers as a protective force nearby to be ready when a new Breach opens. Amanda is no scientists, but she does believe that it's a real threat and that it's crucial to be prepared for the worst. She wants to believe that the war against the Kaiju is over, but she doesn't quite manage. She has lived with the constant threat for too long to just switch off the feeling of dread. She thinks it the same for most people, and that mixture of dread and the renewed fame of the Jaeger Program and Rangers in particular is the reason for the high number of applicants.

The Proving Grounds, the other fundamental element of reviving the PPDC, are also well on their way to running on full force again. The move from Hong Kong to Kodiak Island is complete, and only a skeleton crew will be manning the Hong Kong Shatterdome until the first new Jaegers arrive to be stationed here. And that will still take quite a while, but at least they have connections as well as funding to proceed with the design and construction of the new Mark series. Amanda doesn't doubt that they - and the world - will desperately need those Jaegers in the future. 

The other venture to keep the PPDC well financed are the Civilian Explorers, which will also be developed and built in the Proving Grounds. Miss Mori has informed her that the project is progressing as planned and that the interest in the small mechas is overwhelming. The training for pilots of Civilian Explorers is not set up yet, since the actual machines are still a long way from construction. Another factor is that an entirely new training programme has to be developed based on the different requirements of the single-pilot mechas - and drawing up the new training system is only possible when the requirements of the mechas are actually established. Still, applications mostly from enterprises have already come in, so there's no doubt that the demand is there. It makes Amanda feel better to know that they'll have a financial leg to stand on that will definitely be able to contribute to their independence.

Amanda lets her gaze sweep over the people on the floor below her and can't help feeling very pleased with what they have achieved in the past weeks. She notices Rangers Hansen and Becket dancing slowly on the large dance floor, surrounded by various other couples, and she smiles. They did a great job during the tour. She's especially relieved that Chuck Hansen managed to - mostly - rein in his infamous temper. She admits that she was worried about him causing disruptions that might not be so well received, despite the public obviously loving him for his rebellious attitude. She never expected that it would be Ranger Becket who hit a journalist, and she still can't express how glad she is that that incident didn't spectacularly backfire on the PPDC. There was nothing she could do to contain the damage at the time, there were too many witnesses, too much video footage of the actual event. She still can't quite believe how lucky they were that the public as well as the media actually sided with Raleigh. In the end the whole thing didn't harm the PPDC one bit.

The dance floor slowly fills up, and Amanda's gaze flickers over to the impressive figure of Aleksis Kaidanovsky guiding his no less impressive wife in a slow dance, both in full dress uniform. Amanda notices their perfect sync and can't help smiling at the oddness of seeing those two dancing instead of fighting in the kwoon. Amanda will never forget their performance at the public fight in Vladivostok, she is still deeply impressed by their skills, their precision, their speed. For a moment Amanda is caught off guard when she spots Marshal Pentecost being pulled onto the dance floor by Marshal Hansen, both of whom are also wearing their dress uniform. He seems reluctant at first, but once they take their positions, once they start moving, there is the same sync and grace that enfolds the Kaidanovskys. It's beautiful to watch, absolutely mesmerising.

Amanda has known about the relationship of Hansen and Pentecost ever since she first saw them together. Of course she is very good at reading people - it's a fundamental part of her job, after all - but she can't help wondering how people could _not_ notice. There's a sense of connection and belonging about Marshal Pentecost and Marshal Hansen that is blatantly obvious without any public displays of affection. Before tonight, before this dance, she's never seen an affectionate gesture between them, nothing but their intense looks, and yet she always knew. She's glad how the hype surrounding circuitry burns put their as well as Becket's and Hansen's relationship in a positive light, how the fact that they're a perfect match made them basically untouchable for doubts or hostilities. It worked out for the better in the end, and that's what's important now. It allows all of them to focus on their main task: Rebuilding the PPDC so that they can defend the world against the Kaiju when they return. They did it once, they will do it again.

Yes, she thinks with a smile, the future may not be easy, but things are finally looking up.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing the fics about the World Victory Tour took up so much of my time and thoughts that it feels a bit like the end of an era to be done with it... *is in a strange mood* Like the beginning of a new chapter (haha!) - for me as well as the characters, if you get what I mean? I hope you enjoyed reading this trip as much as I did writing it ^_^


End file.
